The 10 Best Patsy Cline Songs (and the Stories Behind Them)

Choosing your favorite Patsy Cline song is like picking your favorite summer barbecue side dish—it's pretty much impossible. The country legend left us far too soon, but her eternal gift is a vast catalog of tunes to inspire and move us. Read on for our absolute favorites, the narratives behind them, and what makes them so special.

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1"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)"

"For me, this song is the absolute perfect example of the Nashville Sound that [producer] Owen Bradley was famous for," explains Mario Munoz, Patsy Cline Museum Manager in Nashville, Tennessee. "He took a classic standard that had been done for decades by various entertainers and enhanced it with a lush production that is distinctly Patsy." Originally written in 1913 and appearing in the Broadway show The Honeymoon Express, later additional lyrics were added and it become one of Judy Garland's greatest hits. Later, the song appeared on Cline's 1962 album Sentimentally Yours with a romantic flair and her ever-lovely, soothing vocals.

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2"Always"

Here's some fun, insider trivia for Cline fans: 'Always' is very special because that song is why we named Patsy's fan club, 'Always...Patsy Cline,' reveals Mel Dick, brother of Charlie Dick (Cline's now deceased husband). The unique backstory of the tune traces back to Irving Berlin. The famous composer penned the song in 1925 for his wife as a wedding gift. Decades later in 1963, during some of Cline's last recording sessions, she laid down the hit, which was ultimately released posthumously in her 1980 album, Always.

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3"Crazy"

What a timeless anthem! "It's 'crazy' to think that this was her highest peaking song on the Billboard charts (No. 2), and it was beaten by a doo-wop group you've likely never heard of (The Marcels, 'Heartaches')," says Brandon Harrington, host/producer of Surviving the Music Industry, a Nashville-based podcast. Though it was written by Willie Nelson, Cline brought it to the mainstream, transforming the story of finding true love and then losing that person and being heartbroken into matchless beauty. "The depth and tragedy of Willie's lyrics and complex melody and chord changes make this my all-time favorite Patsy Cline song. The true test of any song is the relevance it maintains as decades pass by, and 'Crazy' has proven just that with its many covers through time." Nelson even said it was his favorite cover of his music ever.

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4"Walkin' After Midnight"

"The song was originally given to pop singer Kay Starr but her label rejected it," says country singer and songwriter, Rissi Palmer. "Cline actually disliked the song at first but as is often the case, she compromised with her label that she would record it as long as she could also record 'A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold),' a song she actually liked." It became her first big-time hit and a song people associate with her to this day. Seamlessly melding together country and jazz with undertones of pop and R&B, it's as catchy as it is unique.

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5"You Belong to Me"

"This song was recorded by several other artists before Cline's version in 1962," shares Palmer, of the lovely 1950s ballad. "It was included with several other standards on the album Sentimentally Yours to appeal to a crossover audience. It wasn't a single or a hit." But sometimes, not making it to mainstream fame is what makes a song so special—when you feel like a track can stay your own private treasure. "This song showcases Cline at her finest and doing what she did best: yearning. The tune drips emotion and passion," notes Palmer. And the lyrics' beautiful imagery don't hurt: "See the pyramids along the Nile / Watch the sunrise from a tropic isle / Just remember darling all the while / You belong to me," she warbles with her signature graceful sound.

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6"I Love You So Much It Hurts"

"This cover by Floyd Tillman that was originally inked in 1948 only as three stanzas and is painfully emotional," says Harrington of the popular folky anthem. "Anybody that has ever loved so much can really identify with this song. Now mix it with patsy's vocal and it resonates even more." As for the story behind the tune? The simple lyrics pretty much give it away: "I love you so much, it hurts me / Darlin', that's why I'm so blue / I'm so afraid to go to bed at night / Afraid of losing you / I love you so much, it hurts me." An ode to the power and vulnerability of love, we swoon for Cline's rich vocals and the blues-tinged delivery of the powerful lines.

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7"Leavin' On Your Mind"

It may not have reached as much notoriety as songs like 'Crazy,' but man is this a special tune. "[This] has always been a sentimental song for me. It was the last single released during her lifetime and climbing the charts when she passed away in '63," shares Munoz. As legend holds it, Cline was in her producer Owen Bradley's office when she heard Joyce Smith's album with the tune and fell for it. Despite some initial pushback to obtain rights to the song, she ultimately recorded it, and it was tragically her last single before she died on March 5th, 1963. Interestingly, this tune was to be the first of three singles from an unreleased album of Cline's, Faded Love. It climbed up to No. 8 on the country charts but only reached No. 83 on the pop charts. "The yearning in her voice, the gorgeous orchestration, and the sweet memories of my mother playing this song often in my childhood make this my all-time favorite," adds Palmer. It's hard to listen and not get a tad emotional.

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8"Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"

"This is one song of Cline's that will always be special to me," says country music singer and actor Mandy Barnett. "It was the song that I sang for my audition to portray her in the play 'Always...Patsy Cline,' which was produced at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville," adds Barnett (she later went on to play the role). Written by Jimmie Hodges, the love song touches on the sadness with moving on from a relationship. "I know that someday, you'll want me, to want you / When I'm in love with somebody new," croons Cline. Man, do we know the feeling!

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9"Let the Teardrops Fall"

"A lot of songs were released after Cline's death and this was a track left over from her 4 Star [record deal] days," explains Harrington. "Imagine Chuck Berry guitars, with sad country lyrics, and Cline's effortlessly beautiful vocals. It may sound a little forced, but remember this was recorded in a time when artists like Brenda Lee or even Wanda Jackson were killing the charts with their own flair of rockabilly." Above all, this song's legacy is how it spotlights Cline's dynamic versatility as a singer. "It serves as a testament to the fact that that even the record labels don't always know what's best," adds Harrington.

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10And so many more of her beautiful covers…

Okay, so this isn't one specific song, but we're taking the words of Julie Fudge, daughter of Cline and Charlie Dick, to heart: "There are far too many songs to list just a couple of favorites. I tend to like the classics. Not the 'Patsy Cline' classics (although those are great!) but Patsy singing the classics," shares Fudge. Here are a few of her top picks:

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